Friends or Foes
by abbyd00
Summary: Steve and Sarah Lynn (read Howling with family by anelson1) are assigned a mission by Nick Fury that goes wrong. How will they recover?
1. Chapter 1

"Steve! Why won't you let me go?"

"It's to dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm as strong as you, I have as good an aim as Clint, I can knock Tony out with three hits while he's in his suit, and I can kick butt better than Natasha!" Sarah pointed out.

"You may be able to do all those things but you're just not capable to go on this mission," Steve answered.

Sarah stormed off upset at Steve for what he told her.

Steve sat there feeling mad at himself for not trusting Sarah.

"Rogers, meeting room now!" Nick Fury sounded loudly into Steve's ear com.

Steve met Nick in the meeting room. He was unsure why Nick called him into the meeting room this late at night.

"Steve, we've located the terrorists. I need you to go stop them before they hurt anyone else. You have to go in a few days though because they think we know about them and where they are. You'll go in 3 days."

"Where are they located, sir?"

"Right now they are upstate but tracking there ware-abouts, they should be here in a few days. Don't tell Sarah any of this information because she will want to go help you."

"Sir, she was in the room when you first told everyone about the mission a few days ago. She'll want to go with me."

"I know, but it's too hard for her skill set. You and the rest of the team need to work with her for a few more months before she's ready for anything this challenging."

"Yes Sir."

Steve was worried about Sarah. Who knows what would happen to her if she were to go on that mission with him. She could get hurt- or worse.

"Steve! Are you even listening to me?" Fury sounded, well furious.

"Yes, Sir," Steve answered coming back to reality.

"Good. As I was saying, SHEILD has never had a skill set like Sarah's to work with. They don't know what to use her for. They only send her on the easy missions that sound like hard ones. That's why she isn't going to go on this mission, it's too hard for her."

"I told her she wasn't going with me but she thinks she can handle it. I don't know who to believe, you or Sarah. I mean your right she doesn't have the skills to do hard missions but she has some skills that no one else on the team has."

Steve left in utter confusion. He knew Sarah wasn't capable of handling this mission yet he knew how much stronger and faster she had become. He just didn't know who to believe.

Steve went to the kitchen a few nights later and got a late night snack. No one else was up so this was the perfect time to go onto the computers and check the mission one last time. He needed to know where exactly to corner the terrorists. He was doing this mission alone so he needed all the help he could get from any source possible.

Steve saw Sarah creep down to the kitchen to get a snack so he closed every file of the mission and shut the laptop before she get to him.

"What were you working on this late at night?"

"Mission tomorrow night. Just double checking everything to make sure I understand it all."

"Well don't ask for my help because you obviously don't even want my help on the mission that I am capable of doing."

"I wasn't going to ask for your help. Nick wants me to do this mission alone so I'm honoring his orders. This has nothing to do with you not being capable. I know you are, it's just that Nick doesn't think you're ready yet. Please understand that we only want to keep you safe. These are terrorists we are talking about! They won't go easy on anyone." Steve shut up knowing he had spoken too much.

"T-t-terrorists? You never told me they were terrorists." Fear entangled Sarah's face and words.

"I'll be fine. I've done this before. Go to bed its late," Steve told Sarah.

After she left Steve looked at the mission a little bit more before heading to bed. He noticed something odd and instantly fear coursed through his body.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, after getting no sleep at all, Steve stumbled into the kitchen to get some breakfast before his daily run. He noticed Sarah walk in and then immediately walk right out. He ran after her, knowing he had done something to her.

"Sarah, let me explain things! Sarah, wait up!"

Surprisingly, Sarah had become slightly faster than Steve, but that wasn't going to stop him from getting to her before she slammed her bedroom door in his face. He turned the corner and remembered a short cut that Tony had made so he could scare people when they passed by. He hid in the corner waiting for Sarah. She would be there any time now. He heard her footsteps coming in his direction. He was prepared to get a firm grip on her so she wouldn't run off. This was his only chance to get her to talk. He positioned himself to where his body was covered in the wall's shadow. He wanted the element of surprise.

"I know your hiding, Steve. Tony told me all about his hiding spots. Just come on out and we can talk about things," Sarah yelled down the hall to Steve.

Steve knew she was gong to pounce on him once he came out, so he stayed there quiet and still. She wasn't coming and he was getting tired of just waiting, so he cautiously came out.

Sarah was the one with the element of surprise. She tackled Steve and pinned him to the floor. When he shot up out of her grip, she roundhouse kicked him in the side, he was too tall for her to get his head. Steve landed on the ground in pain and Sarah pinned him again and this time looked him straight in the eye.

"Why don't you trust me? I have you pinned to the ground right now and I have no plans on letting go anytime soon, so you may as well explain to me why I'm not going with you! Tell me right now, Steve Rogers!"

"It's hard- for me- to explain things- when I can't- breath." Steve was struggling to get the words out.

Sarah released him enough to breathe but not enough to let him escape. "Why won't you let me go on the mission with you?"

"Nick won't let you go. He doesn't think your ready."

"Ready for what? I've been on hard missions before, how is this one different? I've knocked out terrorists before. What's so different about this one?"

"I don't know! Nick won't tell me. He knew you would ask me about the mission so he purposefully didn't tell me everything."

"So Fury's the one who doesn't trust me! Why does no one trust me?"

"Sarah, let me go and I'll explain things to you. It's hard to tell you everything when you're just a few inches away from my face- and when my side really hurts."

Sarah slowly let Steve go and allowed him to sit up and lean against the wall for support.

"It's not that we don't trust you, it's that we don't think you have the right abilities for this mission. You need to train a little bit more and then you'll be ready. I've seen you get better in training but Nick thinks you need just a few more weeks to train until you're ready for anything-even missions on your own."

Sarah sounded excited at the sound of that. She could go on missions herself. But she still seemed uncertain. "What's so different about these terrorists?"

"There's more of them. They are stronger. They are faster. Don't worry about it. I know what I'm going to do and I've done this before. I've fought people who are much stronger and faster than them. You have a job with this mission too, special instructions from Nick Fury himself."

"What? What is it?" Sarah perked up at the sound of that.

"Your job with this mission is to stay here in Stark Tower and stay out of trouble- to stay safe. Part of why you're not going is because we don't want you to get hurt. Please, Sarah, for me."

Sarah looked up at Steve, "Yeah, I'll stay here. Good luck on the mission. When do you have to leave?"

"Tomorrow night at eleven thirty. They will be working at night so I'll probably be sleeping most of the day tomorrow." Steve wasn't sure why Sarah was asking all those questions about the mission, but he knew he could trust her, even if Fury didn't trust Sarah.

"Sarah, thanks for understanding. Oh and don't tell Fury I told you any of this information, you're not really supposed to know."

"I won't, I promise." Sarah smiled and gave Steve a big hug.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve got ready for his mission an hour early, for multiple reasons. He made sure he had everything he needed for the mission: shield, a just-in-case gun, and his ear com. When he had doubled checked to make sure he had everything, he went and got a little something to eat. He didn't know how long this mission would last so he was going to go prepared.

After he finished eating, he went and checked on Sarah. She was still in bed, to his relief, and sound asleep. She wasn't even moving.

"Steve, jet's here. Departure in ten minutes," Fury sounded in his ear com.

"10 minutes, got it." He hadn't yet left Sarah's room and took one last look at her before heading out the door. He knew he needed to get to the jet soon so Fury could go over the mission with him and get ready to take on the terrorists.

He left the room and headed straight for the elevator to get to the roof where the jet was. He thought he saw movement before heading into the elevator so he went and checked it out, to make sure everything was fine.

Steve returned to the elevator after checking out what happened and went to the roof. He met Fury on the jet and they went over the mission one last time before fighting the terrorists.

"Understand everything, Cap?" Fury asked Steve.

"Yes, Sir. Meet them in the local gym and pretend to workout but really I'm there to take them out. If they question why I'm there I say I have a deluxe gym pass and I get there outside of normal open hours."

"You got it. We are almost there so get ready."

Fury walked off to talk to the pilot when Steve heard a sneeze come from the other side of the jet. He walked over to see what it was but didn't see anything so he went back to his seat.

He heard the sneeze again a little while later and searched around and found Sarah.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the tower with everyone else!" Steve whispered angrily.

"I'm sorry, Steve. It's just that I really wanted to go. I wanted to help you. We are partners and I'm not letting you do this mission alone!" Sarah spoke quietly so Nick Fury wouldn't hear her.

"I know we are partners but you should have stayed in the tower where it's safe. We are here now so suit up and help me. I'm sure I don't have to tell you anything about the mission since you probably already know everything about it."

"One question? Who are we fighting?"

"People from hydra. Stay close, they don't play easy."

Steve and Sarah went into the gym and found their positions. Steve would be on the treadmill while Sarah would be doing push-ups next to the treadmills.

"Ready?" Steve was so scared that Sarah would get hurt on this mission. He wanted to protect her, whatever the cost.

The terrorists walked into the gym after picking the door lock. They scanned the area making sure no one was there when they spotted Steve and Sarah.

"You work here?" One of the terrorists asked Steve.

"No, sir, I have a deluxe pass into this gym. I have privileges to be here after hours."

"I'm sorry to say but you are sadly mistaken. This gym doesn't have deluxe passes nor does any other gym in the city. Who are you?"

"People call me- Captain America! Now!"

Steve and Sarah both started to fight the terrorists. Ten men against two avengers. Steve knocked two of the men out with his shield while Sarah morphed into Sarah-Wolf and bit the men on their feet making them bend over so she could smash them into the wall. Sarah morphed again into herself and roundhouse kicked one of the guys in the side. He fell over and she and Steve finished him. The five remaining men surrounded Steve and Sarah. They were closing in on them when Sarah suddenly morphed and commanded Steve to hold his shield out. She ran onto his shield, bounced off, and kicked everyone in the face knocking everyone out and killing one of them. She morphed quickly out of breath and held Steve's shoulder for support.

Steve, thinking it was another terrorist, threw his arm back and hit him in the head- only to turn around and find that it was Sarah. He had knocked Sarah out.

"No! Sarah!" Steve was terrified. "Nick! Help down in the gym! Sarah and I got all the guys but I got one extra person." He was exhausted but the adrenalin was pumping in him so hard he couldn't sit still. "Hurry!"

When Fury got to the gym he saw Steve hovering over Sarah. "Steve, we need to get her to Bruce's lab, now. Carry her to the jet and I'll contact Bruce to let him know. We will get there asap."

Steve carried Sarah all the way to the jet and he didn't let his grip loosen the whole way back to Stark Tower.

When they got there, he went into Bruce's lab carrying Sarah in his arms.

"Please, take good care of her. Help her, for me." Steve collapsed and fell right asleep on the labs ground.


	4. Chapter 4

When Steve awoke he found himself outside of Bruce's lab. He sat up and knocked on the door waiting to come in.

"Just a minute!" Bruce answered from inside the lab door. When he opened the door and saw who was standing there, he immediately started to close the door.

"Bruce! Let me in! I need to see Sarah!"

"I'm sorry but I can't let you in."

"Come on! Let me in! I need to see her!" Steve was not cooperating very well.

Finally, he busted the door open and let himself in. He looked around, trying to find Sarah, but found no sign of her anywhere. "Where is she?"

"I'm sorry but I don't know who you are talking about." Bruce answered shyly and fearfully.

"Oh you know right where she is! Tell me where she is!"

"Not here, that's for sure. She hasn't been here since 3 this morning." By looking at the expression on Steve's face, Bruce finally answered Steve's question with the answer he was looking for. "She wasn't getting any better and there was nothing else I could do. I asked Tony if I could borrow one of his cars and I took Sarah to the local hospital."

"Why did you send her there? There must have been something else to do to help her and keep her close!"

"There was nothing else I could do! I tried everything I knew to try! Nothing was working!"

"Give me the address to the hospital. I need to see Sarah."

When Bruce gave Steve the address to the hospital Sarah was located at, Steve hopped on his motorcycle and went to the hospital.

'It's all my fault! I was the one who smashed her head with my shield! I was the one who let her come on this mission after telling her no all along! I was the one who made her mad! I was the one who told her she wasn't capable! It was all me! This is all my fault! I'm the one to blame! I'm the only one to blame! I should have listened to Nick and not let her go! I don't even know how she even went-unless! Sarah, why would you do such a dumb thing? I told her not to go! This is all my fault!'

He pulled into the hospital parking lot and was afraid of what he might see when he walked into her room, so he stayed in the parking lot. Fear was coursing through his body and he didn't know what else to do but cry. He wasn't even going to go in and see her, he just wanted to be near her yet as far away from her as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

Steve finally got the courage to go see Sarah after waiting in the parking lot all day.

"May I help you?" The nurse asked.

"Yes, is there a patient here by the name of Sarah Lynn?"

"Yes there is. Room 307 on the second floor. Take the elevator up and it's the second door on the left."

"Thank you," Steve replied. He walked down the hallway, rounded the corner, and entered the elevator.

When the elevator dinged, Steve was nervous, worried, terrified, and upset at what he might see when he went into Sarah's room. He knew it was all his fault but he couldn't tell himself anything otherwise.

He knocked lightly on Sarah's room and slightly opened the door. "Sarah?"

"She's sleeping. She's been sleeping for days now. We went ahead and did some tests on her to see if we could do any more in the future to help her. Thankfully there are some small things we can do," Sarah's nurse reported.

"What kind of things are you able to do?"

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

"I'm her- father. It's a complicated relationship."

The nurse shook her head understandingly. "Well, right now all we can do is a few more tests. If everything goes well and if she wakes up, we should be able to give her some medicine to take and she can go home."

"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you've done to help her."

"You're welcome. If there is anything I can do to help you, my name is Sammie."

"Thanks, Sammie."

When Sammie left the room, Steve sat there upset at himself for causing all of this. He knew it was his fault for Sarah to end up in the hospital, but he knew deep down she was going to get better.

"Sarah, I know you can't hear me or see me but I wanted to let you know that I'm so sorry for what I did to you. You don't deserve this. I should have listened to you because I saw how great of an agent you are. You're better than any of the rest of us. Sarah, don't go." Steve started to cry. He had said everything he wanted but now he just wanted her to wake up. He wanted to get one more hug from her, he wanted to run one more time with her, and he wanted to watch tv with her all snuggled up next to him when a scary part came on. He just wanted her, no one else. He wouldn't trade her for the world.

Sarah started to move around and Steve perked up at the sight of that. He knew right then she was going to wake up and get better. He knew she was going to go home!

Then suddenly she started to scream. Steve ran and got Sammie.

Sammie escorted Steve out into the hallway so she could help Sarah.

Steve was worried she wasn't going to get better. He was worried she was never going to go back to Stark Tower.

"She's alright," Sammie explained walking out of Sarah's room. "She remembers what happened and she kind of relived it in her mind. Don't worry though because this is a good sign. It means she's waking up and she's more alert. These next few days will be the hardest because she's in stage one of sleeping, where you have dreams. She should be awake in a few days and we can send her home soon after."

"Thank you." Steve was relieved to know Sarah was getting better.

He looked into Sarah's door window and whispered, "I love you." He knew now for a fact she was getting better.

He went home and went to bed knowing she was coming home soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve was concerned about Sarah but he knew she was in good hands.

"Steve I need to speak with you now in the conference room. It's very important," Nick Fury sounded in his ear com.

"Coming, Sir." Steve wasn't sure what this was all about but he knew that whatever it was had to be about his latest mission- the mission he'd rather forget.

As he entered into the conference room, Steve saw Nick staring out the big window that covered the back wall. "Sir?"

"Sit down. We need to have a talk about the latest mission you were on."

Steve sat down concerned that Nick was going to bring up what he did to Sarah. He didn't want to remember it. He would rather spend another 70 years in the cold ice.

"I need a report on the mission." Nick was pacing back and forth. He looked like he had a lot on his mind.

"We did just as you said but they figured out we didn't have deluxe passes because no gym in the area has them. Sarah and I knocked all of them out. Sarah even killed one of them!" He stopped at the thought of Sarah.

"Thank you. They have all been taken into custody and we will no longer deal with them. Well, almost." Nick looked at the ground.

"What do you mean 'almost'?"

"They weren't really terrorists. I hired them to act like terrorists. The whole mission was fake."

"What do you mean fake? It was real! I know because I saw in the files they were all from hydra!"

"No they weren't. They work in a not so well known place in SHEILD. I made up all the information in the files."

"Why would you do that?"

"To show you that Sarah is capable of any mission."

"I already knew she was capable." Steve was really confused and really angry.

"No you didn't. Everything you say to each other in you ear coms, I hear too. I have a computer that records all missions. Every mission you and Sarah go on together, you keep her in the corner away from all the danger. If she runs into a few of the bad guys, she takes them out but that's very rare. You see I told you, and only you, to go on this mission. I knew Sarah was going to be upset and sneak into the jet when the time came. I wanted you to see that she is capable of many missions of every level."

"How did you know that Sarah snuck into the jet?"

"Jarvis. He showed me when you were in Sarah's room. I knew you would go check on her. I told you right before you walked out of her room that we were leaving at 11:30. The noise that you heard right before you got on the elevator was her throwing a cup. You put it away which gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak into the elevators and get to the roof. I then told her where to hide in the jet so she wouldn't be seen. You then came up on the roof and I met you in the jet after I hid Sarah. Her sneezing I didn't plan."

"So you knew all along?" Steve was hurt by what Nick had hidden from him but he realized this was the only way he could really see Sarah was capable of any mission.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, especially since Sarah is hurt, but this seemed like the only way I could break the news to you. We just have to hope Sarah gets better soon."

Steve sat there in shock. He didn't know what to say about the whole conversation he had just had with Nick. He didn't know what to think about it either. How could Nick send them on a fake mission? Everything seemed so real to him!

Then it dawned on him. "So it's all my fault! If it wasn't for me, Sarah wouldn't be in the hospital right now hurt! She would be here in Stark Tower! She would be fine!"

"Steve, don't put the blame on yourself. You didn't know she was going to lean on you for support. I didn't know that. It's not your fault. You didn't know."

Steve left the room and went to his bedroom- right next to Sarah's. He couldn't even look in her room or even at her door without feeling guilty. He wanted to be by himself and think about Sarah and everything they had done together!


	7. Chapter 7

Steve didn't want to be too far away from Sarah for too long. He went to the hospital later the next day and went straight to her room. He had been there enough all the nurses recognized him and they all knew he was there to see one person.

As he knocked on the door, like every other time he was there, no one answered.

'Sammie must be with another patient.'

He went into Sarah's room to see her more elevated and more alert, but still asleep. He wished she would wake up but he knew it was a long shot.

He waited all morning in her room when Sammie came in to give him an update on Sarah.

"She's more alert as you might have already guessed and she's more active. I would say not too much longer and she will be awake."

"Thank you, Sammie, for all you have done to help her."

"You're welcome. I must say you knocked her out pretty hard," Sammie smiled. "You can stay here as long as you would like."

"Thank you." Steve didn't want to leave Sarah's room. He only wanted to be in her presence. He didn't want to go on anymore missions until Sarah was better.

In the afternoon Steve was reading a magazine provided by the hospital when Sarah started to stir. He put down the magazine and went over to her bed side. She was moving and making sounds with her mouth when she finally woke up. He held her hand.

"Sarah?" Steve asked fearfully he had hit her too hard and she had forgotten him.

"Yes?" Sarah asked groggily.

"Do you remember me?"

"Steve Rogers or Captain America. Yes I remember you."

Steve sighed a sigh of relief knowing she remembered him. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I should have known it was you since we knocked everyone out. You even killed one of them!"

"I killed one of the guys?"

"Yes! Sarah, please forgive me. I didn't know it was you. I guess it was instincts, you know?"

"Yes I know. I even remember sneaking onto the jet and Nick helped hide me! Did he tell you?" Sarah added obviously not knowing if Nick had told Steve yet.

"Yes he did." Steve sat there in silence angry at himself for not trusting Sarah more. "Sarah."

"Steve, don't apologize. I forgive you. I'm curious though, why don't you trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that- never mind."

"What? I want to know."

"I guess I was afraid you were going to get hurt and I didn't want that to happen. I was a little more protective of you."

"Steve, it's ok," Sarah whispered while holding his hand. "I understand why you are protective of me but you have to realize I'm getting older and I have to protect myself sometimes. There are times when I need you to protect me but there are other times where I have to do things on my own."

"I know. I guess I just haven't told myself you are getting older, stronger, faster, and more quick witted than most of us now."

Steve and Sarah sat there in comfortable silence with each other. They didn't want to talk, they only wanted to be with each other.

"Steve? Can I tell you something?" Sarah asked breaking the silence.

"Anything. What's going on?" Steve answered.

"When my house, you know, exploded, I felt like my entire world was gone and that I would never get it back. When I met you all, I felt like I had it all back. You all gave me everything I've wanted. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't found me and took me in. Thank you." Sarah flung her arms around Steve's neck.

Steve sat there, smiling, knowing he had done something that changed the world for his best friend. He didn't want the hug to end so he held on a little tighter.

"Thank you, Steve. I feel like even though I don't have my blood father anymore, I have you as my adoptive father. You're always so protective of me just like my dad. Thank you. I don't know where I would be without you."


	8. Chapter 8

"Captain, Natasha, I need to see both of you in the conference room," Nick Fury commanded.

Steve went straight to the conference room meeting up with Natasha on their way there.

"Heard about your last mission. Why would Fury keep a secret like that away from you?"

Steve looked at his shoes. "So Sarah and I would settle our differences and so that I could see that she's capable of any mission of any kind."

They didn't talk the rest of the way to the conference room.

"Glad to see you two," Nick stated when Steve and Nat showed up. "I have a mission for you two. Before you ask, yes this is a real mission, not a fake one I made up. Sorry for that. Anyway, the mission you will be going on is located a few miles away from here. The mission is to take information off a computer, onto a hard drive, and deleting everything on that computer. Natasha, you will be doing the mission, Steve you keep guard."

"What information?" Natasha asked.

"I can't share that quite yet but you should know when you see it. It has my name all over it- literally. Departure is in fifteen minutes, get ready."

Steve went to his room and picked up his shield and jacket.

As he was leaving his room, he peeked into Sarah's room. He went to her bedside and saw a note addressed to him. He, being respectful, left it alone, knowing she would give it to him when the right time came.

"Nat, update." Steve asked Natasha a half hour later.

"Almost done. Just a few more- ow!"

Steve went into the computer lab and saw Natasha on the ground with a bullet hole in her shoulder.

"Steve, I'm doing this for a good cause. Leave the computer alone," a guy told Steve.

"Who are you?"

"You should remember me from your last mission. You knocked me out remember? I'm back."

"I thought you worked for shield!"

"I used too but now I work for hydra. Seeing everything they can do that Shield can't, I've never loved hydra more. Now, walk out of here and everything will be fine."

"Not happening!"

"Then I'll shoot you too."

"In your dreams!" Steve threw his shield toward the hydra agent and it boomeranged back to him. He finished uploading everything onto the hard drive, pulled Nat up into his arms, and got out of the building back to head quarters in Stark Tower.

"Here's your hard drive." Steve handed over the hard drive to Nick Fury. "Nat, you still ok?"

"Yes, I had a bullet in my shoulder and I'm bleeding like crazy. Do you think I'm ok?" Natasha asked while holding a wet rag to her shoulder.

"Sorry."

Steve wanted to know what Nick was hiding in the hard drive and when Sarah was going to get better.

"When are you going to tell us what's on that hard drive?" Nat asked Fury.

"When the time is right. That time is not now to answer your following question."

"How did you know I was going to ask that?"

"I've been around you people long enough, I know what you do."

Steve's phone was ringing. "Hello? What! I'll be right there!" Steve hung up.

"Rogers, what's going on?" Nick Fury asked with concern.

"It's Sarah, she's not doing well. I'll be at the hospital if you need anything."


	9. Chapter 9

"Steve?" Natasha asked when she walked into the hospital waiting room.

"Sarah's not doing good at all. It's all because of me." He put his head in his hands and started to cry a little.

"Steve it's not your fault. You didn't know."

"You're right, I didn't know, but I should have known."

Steve and Natasha sat there in silence waiting to hear any news on Sarah. They needed answers soon because Nick needed to know if he could send her on anymore missions.

"Steve, Sarah would like to see you," Sammie stated.

Steve stood up and started to follow Sammie. He knew where her room was but he respected Sammie.

"She is doing even worse now and we are not sure how much time she has left. It's only a matter days."

Steve picked up his pace needing to see her. He was worried he was going to be the last person she was ever going to see.

He opened the door to Sarah's room slowly, not wanting to disturb Sarah.

"Steve, come here," Sarah whispered.

Steve went over to her bedside. He held her hand as he feared it would be the last time he would ever hold her hand.

"Go get everyone from the team. I need to see all of them."

Steve went into the hallway and called Nick.

"Sarah wants all of us here, now. Please gather the team up and get them here, you included."

"Yes, Sir. I'll get everyone together," Nick sounded fearful.

Steve went into Sarah's room and sat in the corner by himself with his thoughts. He felt bad about hurting Sarah and he wanted so badly to go back to that day and change everything.

He looked over to see Sarah sleeping. He wanted Sarah to get better but he knew deep down she was only going to get worse. It was the hardest truth he had to face.


	10. Chapter 10

Steve heard the door creak open and he saw everyone but Thor crowd into Sarah's hospital room.

"Sarah, you have some company," Steve gently woke Sarah up.

Sarah sat up in her bed and saw everyone crowd around her bed. "Hi everyone. Sorry you have to find out this way but the doctors said there's nothing more they can do to help me so it's just a matter of time now before- well you know." Sarah looked down at her hands.

"Sarah, it's alright. What you did for SHIELD was incredible. No one could have ever done what you've done. You've helped us out in many ways and for that we all thank you," Nick stated. "I don't think I'll ever find another Sarah because you are so unique to the team."

"Can you guys give us a minute please?" Steve asked politely.

Everyone nodded and left the room leaving Sarah and Steve alone.

"Sarah, thank you for everything you've taught me. You've helped me understand this day and age and what cellphones are, not do-dads." He smiled. "I've only known you for a few months, almost a year, and I feel like our bond is like no other in all of existence." He held Sarah's hand. "Thank you, Sarah, for everything."

"You're welcome. I don't know what I would have done without you." Sarah embraced Steve in a hug before her whole body went limp.

"Sarah? Sarah!" Steve started to scream. "Sarah!"

Everyone rushed into the room when they all saw why Steve was screaming. Sarah had died.

"Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!" Steve continued to scream.


	11. Chapter 11

"Sarah!" Steve was screaming.

"Steve! Steve!" Nick Fury was screaming. "Wake up!"

Steve shot up out of his nightmare.

"Steve, clam down. You're fine."

"I know I'm fine but what about Sarah? Is she ok? I need to see her."

Everyone looked at each other with weird expressions.

"Where is Sarah? I need to see her!"

"First, you need to calm down and catch your breath," Nick told Steve.

"Yes, I could hear you all the way from Asgard," Thor stated.

"I was that loud?" Steve was really sorry for New York.

"Yes, now calm down. Sarah's around here somewhere," Clint Barton laughed.

"What about your hard drive, Nick? You didn't tell anyone what was on there."

"Yes, I still have that. Everyone has theirs. I still need to give you yours."

Just then Sarah was walking to her bedroom when Steve saw her.

"Sarah!" He jumped out of bed, tripped over his sheets, and tackled Sarah in a hug. "You're alive!"

"Really? I thought I was dead!" Sarah sarcastically answered.

Steve didn't let go. He wanted to hold onto her as long as he could.

"Steve, please let me go. I can't really breath."

Steve let go but still sat close to Sarah.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I just had a nightmare. You died and I thought I was never going to see you again."

Everyone burst into laughter. Tony fell on the ground laughing, Bruce was crying he was laughing so hard, and Nick rolled his eyes.

"Everyone's fine. Now get back to your everyday lives people. Goodness," Nick stated.

Steve helped Sarah up and realized he had hugged her into the wall, seeing the huge dent he had left.

He felt relieved to know that it was just a dream and not real life. He didn't know what he would do without his partner, best friend, and "daughter."


	12. Chapter 12

A FEW MONTHS LATER

"Hey, you coming?" Sarah asked as she stood in Steve's bedroom doorway.

"Yeah, give me a second. I'll be there in a little bit."

"Ok. Oh I just remembered!" Sarah disappeared down the hall towards her bedroom.

She reappeared with a note in her hand. "I have this for you."

Steve reached for the note. "What is this?"

"It's a note I wrote to you."

Steve received it. "Thanks, Sarah."

It read;

'Steve, thank you so much for taking care of me these past few months. I can't thank you enough. You've treated me like I was your own daughter. You've treated me like I've always been here with everyone. You've listened to me when I've had a lot on my mind about life and my family. You've let me cry on your shoulder when I think about my parents and my past life. For all of that plus more, I thank you for everything. Thank you, Dad. Sarah'

Steve set the note down and embraced Sarah in a hug. "You're welcome. I've loved spending time with you even if it's not that often. You know you can come to me with anything at any time."

"I know," Sarah whispered. She hugged Steve a little harder.

"We should get downstairs for breakfast soon."

"Oh yeah! Are you going to participate in our little competition today? You haven't for the past month!"

"Yes I'm going to participate today. I'll meet you down there."

"Ok! I'll see you down there!" Sarah sounded excited.

Steve found his on his phone and got ready. He exited his room and met up with Clint.

"Cap, I'll see you downstairs. You doing it today?" Clint asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Cool! Bet I can beat you downstairs!" Clint took off running. Steve continued walking.

Steve could hear from the distance that Clint had made it to the kitchen and he had entered. He was playing Rue's song from Hunger Games.

"What is that from?" Thor asked.

"Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth."

"Hemsworth. I've heard that name before," Thor muttered, walking off into the distance trying to figure out what Hemsworth was.

Steve was just to the door when Sarah walked in and started to play her theme song from Nick Fury.

"Woof woof woof woof! Who let the dogs out? Woof woof woof woof!" Sarah chanted.

Steve rolled his eyes. He could hear everyone ask from inside 'Where's Steve?'

He had his theme song from Nick ready to play as he walked into the kitchen with everyone around the table, except Thor who was still trying to figure out what Hemsworth was.

"Oh say can you see? By the dawns early light!" Steve's phone started to play.

Everyone turned to the door and laughed as they saw Steve standing there with a smirk on his face.

"I don't know who's more patriotic; Star Spangled Bruce Banner in his American pjs or you playing Star Spangled Banner!" Nick laughed.

Bruce looked down in embarrassment.

"You win!" Natasha laughed. "You win by a long shot!"

Everyone was laughing by now. The war had ended and America had won again.

'It's good to be back.' Steve thought as he went over to be with all his friends and his daughter.


End file.
